Preview—Engineered Garments fall winter 2012.

A lookbook is a frivolous thing—a way for a brand or designer to communicate to buyers and customers how they see a seasonal collection; often a glossy collection of models wearing the clothes and catalog smiles. Engineered Garments's lookbooks are little treasures, though; artfully minimal, styled with the brand's unusual concept of fit, and no smiles, ever.

Daiki Suzuki and Angelo Urritia take it a step more basic in this fall's Engineered Garments lookbook, which was printed and published in black and white with a deep navy cover. It's more like the books of poetry we used to set in moveable type and press in college, in tiny, cherished editions. Appropriately, the photos in this fall's edition are accompanied by verse from Ben Estes, a writer and artist whose alternately spare and lyrical language complements EG (if you want another "NY cool" hook, his poetry has been published by one of Thurston Moore's concerns) . This is a lookbook that's almost challenging. (Much like the newest iteration of EG's website.)

I can't say I've ever seen an EG collection in which I didn't find a lot to like, although I waffle on which season I prefer--autumn's dark Woolrich fabrics and bulk, or the beach-bright patterns of spring/summer. This winter seems to see a few new cuts, like the Truman jacket (which has both a patch and welt breast pocket) and several Golden Bear collaborations, including the varsity-styled short hunter jacket. At Pitti last January I recall seeing more use of split-ring-backed buttons, even on the classic Bedford models, and a blobby navy camouflage wool that was hard to forget. We'll see what ends up in stores.